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Getting my Milk back and Pumping it

Hello, my daughter is 6, almost 7, months old. I had breast feeding her for the first 5 weeks of her life. I stopped because I had to pump everything into bottles because she would not take the breast. I have been thinking about it, and have been trying and have a few drops coming out into the bottles again. I really want to give her some more of my milk for a few different reasons. I mean I would have to keep giving her her formula and baby foods, but I also want to give her more of a boost in anyway I can. Even if I can only give her an oz or 2 a day it is something. I was only pumping 2-3 times a day and eating more then I was. Now I am trying to eat and drink more, pump a little more, and I take a multi-vitamin, iron, and now fenugreek. I have been trying to get my Milk back for about a week now. I keep getting tired like I did before when I did have my Milk, and my Breast keep feeling like they are full and heavier at times, but nothing had happened. Does anyone have any ideas or anything? thank you

Re: Getting my Milk back and Pumping it

hi mama, what an amazing gift you are giving your daughter by trying to get her any milk!

it's not quite clear to me: are you getting any milk right now? did you completely quit pumping and now you're starting again, or have you been doing 2-3 times a day after she was 5 weeks old?

to relactate, you will need to pump a LOT more. typical advice is to aim for at least 10 pumping sessions a day, total of at least 120 minutes, with at least 1 session between midnight and 5 am, with a hospital grade rental pump. removing milk from the breast is really what stimulates your body to make more.

also, did you have any help when your daughter started refusign the breast? did you try things to bring her back?

Re: Getting my Milk back and Pumping it

I agree with pp, the best way to relactate is to have the milk extracted frequently and efficiently. This may mean renting a hospital grade pump. There are many galactagogues to try, both herbal and prescription.
Another idea would be to see if your baby will nurse now. She might, it has happened. It would take some work of course on your part to encourage her to nurse again, but once your baby was able to nurse with any efficiency, eventually you could stop or cut back on pumping.

But you have to do what is going to work for you and your life now. If you cannot pump 10 times a day, then you can't.. but you can pump as much as you can, kwim? There is the ideal which has shown to have the best results, but there is also your day to day reality.